My DCs picky eating is making me want to curse!!!

[DietCokeLover]

Just eat. I am so unbelievably sick of them only wanting/ eating PB and J, chicken nuggets and pancakes. I am seriously at my wits end. I've tried everything... Being laid back, doing the Satter methods, bribery, starvation (not really, but refusing to make something special for them - which results in not eating), holding their uneaten plate of food for their next meal, etc etc. I really don't know if I can take this anymore.

[elizabethkott]

J's the same way. He will literally only eat chicken nuggets (and now it's a specific brand!), hot dogs, string cheese, cheerios, and junk food. It's SO frustrating!!!!!

[Melaine]

I wish I had advice, but I have none. I was just talking to a friend who said her son was like that (also a lot of sensory/texture issues with foods), but now he eats a very varied and healthy diet as a young adult. I hope this stage is going to be soon over, because I can only imagine it is making you completely insane!!

[DietCokeLover]

J's the same way. He will literally only eat chicken nuggets (and now it's a specific brand!), hot dogs, string cheese, cheerios, and junk food. It's SO frustrating!!!!!

Yep, I tried to "change things up tonight" with a different flavor of jelly and that didn't even work.

[bnme]

:hug5:
My 8yo, who was picky, has mostly outgrown it. He now eats almost all meats and many fruits and veggies (prefers raw). He has started eating all forms of potaoes and even tried rice recently. Just don't get near him with a sandwich. :shrug:

My 6.5yo, who is extremely picky, is slowly getting better. I think ending the cycle of bribery, begging, them not eating, etc was a turning point of sorts. My anxiety about it played a role. It did not 'cure' it by any means, but it helped a bit. I totally understand how frustrating it is and how most people don't understand that it is not as simple as refusing to give in to their pickiness. I came up with a routine of what was offered if they wouldn't eat my dinner. And made things like yogurt, fruits, and 'cheesey bread' (open faced grilled cheese) part of the side dish offerings so there would be a part of the meal that wasn't an issue.

Hang in there!

[Roni]

My 7yo is the same way. She has a very limited list of food that she likes. But--she just came home from a cooking class with her Brownie troop and was very proud to present me with dinner. It was homemade mac & cheese with broccoli in it. She ate it and liked it. No way would she have eaten it if I had made it. (Unfortunately, dd1 tried it and didn't like it, but only because she doesn't like cheese.) DD2 also will eat meatballs that she helps make. I'm starting to see a strategy, here. I do often make her special things b/c she is a skinny minnie and really would starve if I didn't. I try not to sweat it too much--I'm a pretty picky eater myself, but certainly not to that extreme. It can definitely be frustrating.

[jgenie]

I sooooo feel your pain!!

[kristenk]

I came up with a routine of what was offered if they wouldn't eat my dinner. And made things like yogurt, fruits, and 'cheesey bread' (open faced grilled cheese) part of the side dish offerings so there would be a part of the meal that wasn't an issue.

bnme, I'd love to hear what your standard alternate dinner offering is. DD is 7yo and getting better about trying things, but she's still pretty picky. I've been trying to figure out a standard dinner offering for her, but am having a hard time finding something that she'll eat that's palatable enough to her to be a substitute but not so exciting to her that she'd prefer eating it over any dinner I make.

[bnme]

bnme, I'd love to hear what your standard alternate dinner offering is. DD is 7yo and getting better about trying things, but she's still pretty picky. I've been trying to figure out a standard dinner offering for her, but am having a hard time finding something that she'll eat that's palatable enough to her to be a substitute but not so exciting to her that she'd prefer eating it over any dinner I make.

I will make him chicken (generally a breaded chicken cutlet/breast baked in the oven or sauteed or baked with a little bbq sauce) if we are having something I know he will not eat. I will admit that for a loooong time he would only eat dino nuggets, but we have worked our way up :). I prepare extra when I make it so I just have to heat it. If I don't want to make chicken he can have a cheese sandwich or I will heat leftovers of something he likes (pasta). If I made something he usually eats but is just not in the mood for, I will not make anything different. I have been able to get him to try things by letting him know I will not force him to eat them. And he has slowly discovered new food he likes to eat that way.

I am happier knowing that he is eating something healthy instead of going through the struggle. If he just eats that with orange sections (because he doesn't like my other sides), then that is dinner.

I often offer cheerios or yogurt as dessert if I felt he didn't eat much at dinner and may be hungry.

I am not saying this is what you should do, but it has worked for us.

[wolverine2]

I'm so with you.

My 3 year old is even worse than my 6 year old. DS2 won't eat meat or vegetables. I've tried everything and I just can't be bothered to make the effort anymore!

FWIW, I was a really picky eater growing up (my mom says total payback) and I do ok now... still not the most adventurous palate, but at least I eat vegetables. My parents tried everything too, but I was very stubborn.

[Indianamom2]

I'm right there with you with DD. Last night we had an almost knock down, drag out fight over eating 6 round slices of honey-glazed carrots. Seriously, I'm not a huge veggie person myself, but these were sweet enough to be desert. She almost made herself throw up, mostly because she gets herself all worked up over this sort of thing.

DD has sensory issues and I highly suspect that she is a super-taster. She's very picky and will only eat certain things (over, and over, and over again). We've tried it all. I don't like forcing her to eat things, but DD has some nutritional deficiencies that we've recently discovered and so she MUST get some veggies and more healthy food in her. My idea is to have her try 6 bites/pieces of whatever it is that she doesn't want. She just won't even try new things. (I picked 6 since she is 6 yrs. old.) She is slowly making progress with trying things. Tonight, she tried a few bites of mashed potatoes (with chives and sour cream, though she didn't know about the sour cream!) and she's never liked the taste/texture of mashed potatoes, even as a baby.

Baby steps, some battling and persistence are ever so very slowly working...I think. Oh, and in her case, we've also stressed why she needs a bigger variety of foods and how they keep her healthy, but we have to be somewhat careful there too as she has an obsessive personality and we don't want food to be an area where she becomes obsessed either way, kwim?

Oh, the things they don't teach you about parenting....

[DietCokeLover]

So how did you get her to even try taking 6 tastes. Mine both refuse to even take a bite. If they would taste something and then tell me they don't like t, I could handle that better. But they declare it "yucky" before they even taste or smell it. And I'm a good cook! Ha. They're missing out!

[tiapam]

I had a mini meltdown today when my kids would not eat pasta with marinara sauce. DS didn't pay much attention but I think I got some things through to DD. Like it is a PITA to cook for other people especially when they do not appreciate it at all! Both of them ate pasta last week, so this some weeks on some weeks off stuff is really frustrating. It is like trying to hit a moving target. I do not ever force my kids to eat anything, but today I did mention there would be no chance at a dessert. So DD served herself and took a second helping. Not big quantities but we were both happier when she was done. DS apparently forgot that he had said he would not eat it and ate a little, too. The list of "dinners" they will eat is pretty small overall but they are not the worst eaters either.

Breakfast for dinner usually makes everyone happy.

[smilequeen]

I so feel your pain too. My middle son is like this (almost 4). The things he'll eat are very specific and limited. My oldest was never this picky and eats pretty much anything we ask him to try. So far nothing has worked for us either.

[k_null81]

After reading this I feel a little better! One of our twins is really picky as well. I hate meal times...